Analysis: Falcons secured future with new Matt Ryan deal

Analysis: Falcons secured future with new Matt Ryan deal

It may be a cliche but that doesn’t make it any less true: it’s tough to win in the NFL without a good quarterback. Some might even say it’s practically impossible.

There are always a few exceptions to the rule.

A few years ago, Denver somehow pulled off a Super Bowl win with a pile of bones at QB. Most championship teams have featured above-average play at the position.

Perpetual losers like the Jets, Browns and Redskins all have one thing in common: they either can’t find or are unwilling to pay to keep a franchise quarterback.

The Falcons know better, which is why they were more than happy to make Matt Ryan the highest paid player in the NFL today by signing him to what amounts to a six year, $169 million extension.

There are always asterisks with a deal this size.

Devoting so many resources to any one position makes it difficult to field a balanced and competitive team in the long run. The Ravens are still dealing from the fallout of the exorbitant contract they gave Joe Flacco, for example.

Still, if you consider the alternative, paying Ryan and other star QBs their market value is the only true choice.

Imagine starting over by drafting a fresh passer with the same roster and see where the team would finish in the standings. As an added bonus, the extension should also allow the Falcons to add more help in free agency and extend other well-deserving players on the team.

Leave the hand-wringing outside. If you’re a Falcons fan and can’t be happy with locking up a player of Ryan’s caliber for the long run, you’re never going to be happy, period. At the end of the day, Ryan is one of the best and most consistent star QBs in the league and paying him even this massive amount of money was the definition of a no-brainer.

As long as Matt Ryan can remain healthy, Atlanta should be a contender, even in an obscenely stacked conference.